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Thursday, May 29, 2014

We all have those days when all our demons come out at once and want to unleash hell on our defenses. Some of us have week and months of those days. It isn't just about food. It is about everything in life. There are voices that tell you that you will never succeed. They tell you what you failed at in the past. They tell you that you're not worthy of anything more than what you are. I am here to tell you that the voices that tell you that you are "less than" are not the voices that want anything for you but misery. They want you to be miserable because they are miserable. They don't want you to ever reach your highest potential...because they never reached theirs.Kiss me for saying this. Nobody ever got to a happy ending without going through hell first. If they did, there isn't much of a story to be told. Speaking from ongoing personal experience, listen to the people who believe in you. Listen to the people who see you as a fighter. You'll have bad days. We all have them. Allow yourself to feel pain, but don't let it take over your life. How? How do you not let it take over? When you're in pain how can you see out of it? The only answer I've ever found worth sharing, is God. First rule of over-eaters anonymous: Thou shalt not fool thyself. Food addiction is real. It is as real as alcohol addiction or drug addiction...but I don't need anything special to pick up a twinkie at the corner market (or 10...). Why is it okay to rely on God for help with a new job or to get us through a death in the family and not rely on Him for something deep and personal like addiction? Part of me says, "I can handle this. I don't need to bother Him about this trivial stuff." The thing is...if it is a struggle, then it isn't trivial. It matters. You matter. You and I both need to reach down into our guts and realize that though this addiction is big...God is bigger. I never have felt guilty turning to God for support or comfort. Is the battle going to be easy? Nope. Is it going to be worth it? Daggumit...Yes! Keep moving. Onward and upward darlings!Always My Very Best,Your Friend Chef Tess

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

We started a 7 day clean eating challenge this week and one of my favorite recipes for making ahead is this chili. It is lean, full of veggies and it keeps my beautiful belly full for a long time. Beautiful belly is, by the way, what I call this middle-section of mine. Or "Middle-Girth" for all you "Lord of the Rings" fans... After a couple months of belly dancing with my mom {No chance I'm ever dancing in public this way but...}, I figured out that this body and belly is not something I want to ever talk badly about. I've embraced my belly. I'm not saying not to improve...I am saying to love your shape and enjoy the journey. If you hate your body, there's not a diet in the world that will cure it. That is something you can take to the bank. You can always be striving for good health, but self-hate is a disease that is only cured in the heart. Cure how you feel about yourself, and you'll have the power to win.

That being said, I eat this chili with a cup of chopped plum tomato and a cup of fine shredded cabbage and a drizzle of lime juice. Let me know what you think! Seriously. Veggies are amazing! So is your belly!

YOU MUST follow these steps to get a spot:1) Send me a friend request: https://www.facebook.com/ChefTess and ask to join the group. I can't add you unless we're friends.2) Fill out a FREE membership form here: http://www.teambeachbody.com/en_US/tbbsignup?referringRepId=126662 (The membership is free and it helps me keep better contact with everyone and is required in order to join).Team Beachbody - TBBSignupFor extra accountability Invite any friends/family you think would be interested! I know you can do this!There you go! Let me know if you want in on this! We have so much fun with these groups and it is a great way to kick-start your goals!Always My Very Best,Your Friend Chef Tess

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Lunch is always a challenge for me. So is dinner. Who am I kidding...making time to eat real food is always a challenge when you're running like crazy. This is a quick and easy meal that is perfect for summer. Usually when I get home from the bakery, the last thing I want to do is cook...or bake. I make this meal a lot, because it just takes a few minutes and it tastes awesome! Over half the fiber I need for the day is in this one meal as well as a low fat option for eating well! You'll love it!

Creamy Garlic Tomato Veggie Toast

2 slices reduced calorie whole grain bread, toasted

2T fat free cream cheese

1 tsp fresh minced garlic

1/2 tsp Romantic Italian Seasoning

1/2 cup fresh tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh grated carrot

slices of fresh onion if desired

Directions: Toast your bread. Combine the cream cheese, garlic and Italian seasoning. Spread 1T of spread on each piece of toast. Top with 1/4 cup fresh sliced tomato per slice of bread. Sprinkle with grated carrot.

Big Dill Green Bean Salad

1 1/2 cup green beans, frozen, defrosted

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp Chef Tess Big Dill Seasoning

fresh cracked pepper

Mix all together. Serve with Toast.

This Meal:

NutritionFactsper servingmakes 1 servings

Amount per serving

Calories

283

Calories from fat

28

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 3g

5%

Saturated Fat 1.1g

6%

Cholesterol 6mg

2%

Sodium 511mg

21%

TotalCarbohydrate 47.5g

16%

Dietary Fiber 13.7g

55%

Protein 16.3g

Percent values are based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet. Your daily values may differ.

Additional Information9.9% of calories from Fat67.1% from Carbohydrates23% from Protein

In case you missed it on facebook, we're having another weight loss challenge group. Today is day 4 of a free 14 day challenge and then we'll go from there...but this is one of the recipes that I made today and it is just awesome! The stats are great too!

Ace ate the whole pan...minus my serving, and I didn't even argue. It is a much healthier choice than most of the Alfredo recipes I've seen. The secret is adding the vegetables to replace part of the pasta, using low fat cream cheese as part of the sauce, and dancing while you cook. Boom-vaaaa-vaaa-booom! I use a lot of garlic, but that will really boost the flavor factor!

Directions:
Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook until the garlic is slightly soft, about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon,1 minute. Whisk in the milk

and cook, whisking constantly, until just thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the Neufchatel and parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped parsley.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine, carrots and green beans cook until al dente, 8-10 to. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and return to the pot.
Add the sauce and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water to the pasta and gently toss to combine, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with Parmesan and pepper.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Here's something that has been helping me a ton! First of all, no guilt. I just have stopped doing things that make my conscience go crazy when it comes to food. For instance, I love diet soda, but I don't like the way I feel after having it for breakfast instead of...breakfast. So, I've replaced that bad habit with something awesome. This smoothie tastes like a strawberry vanilla chocolate ice cream. Adding chia seed and vanilla to the already super-remarkable shakeology (available Here) gives me what I need to keep going for hours! There you go! Keep rocking this! Always My Very Best,Your Friend Chef Tess

Here's an idea that works to keep me feeling full and eating a lot more fiber. I use green beans instead of noodles when I have homemade pasta sauce. Tonight we made a really simple sauce with lean turkey sausage, lots of onion, carrot, stewed tomato and fresh herbs. Bonus...having this succulent sauce over green beans. I always crave great sauce and aren't the noodles just a lot more calories? For people going gluten-free or grain free, this is a really simple way to get a filling meal and still kick it up with the flavor!Simple tip of the day. There you go!Always My Very Best,Your Friend Chef Tess

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Summer vacation starts in 2 weeks for my kids ( insert strained grin from Chef Tess). I don't know about you, but I'm seriously not ready! I always think I'm okay and then I realize that my kids will be here eating all day! All. Day. I have a teenage boy (yes, I know I look too young to have teenager...thank you) and a second boy right on his heels and I really want this summer to be one full of happy healthy choices. Now, it is easy to just load the cupboards with bags of chips and junk. Being a responsible parent is overrated ...totally amazing! We started a 14 day weight loss challenge here at my house this week. One, because mom needs to stay motivated. Two, because my boys need me to stay motivated. Three, because there's something about having my family on board with eating right that is incredibly awesome and motivating! How many times did I mention motivation? My kids have been my best motivator for years!

Summer is about getting out and getting active! Part of that has been getting out in the evening for family walks and getting up early for some aerobics. Don't worry. I'm not a Drill Sargent-mom. We just keep it fun. Basketball always seems to be a winner. Do what you love. Love it the ultimate motivation darlings! The other part of good health is eating right. We're having a lot of healthy salad including whole grain, lean protein and as a chef, there has to be a lot of flavor! I've been keeping this 6 grain chicken salad on hand and mixing up the flavors depending on the mood I'm in.

The benefit of all the whole grain is that it will help regulate blood sugar levels (especially if cooked whole), is cholesterol free, and is great for the heart. Lean protein helps with weight loss and I use breast meat chicken because I love the low fat, low sodium, simple, and delicious texture it adds to any meal. This salad can be made using any of these whole grains including wheat, rye, barley, oat groats, quinoa, Kamut, and brown rice.

* 6 Grain Whole blend is what I use for this recipe most often. It is available in most of the Honeyville retail locations. It contains equal parts hard red wheat, white wheat, oat groats, barley, rye and triticale. You can use any combination of those whole unrolled grains or one grain by itself, as long as it is equal to the 1 1/2 cups of uncooked grain. The cooked amount of grain will be 5 cups.

Directions: To cook the grain, I place it in my pressure cooker with 6 cups of water and cook on high 25 minutes, natural release. If you want a full tutorial on cooking grain in a pressure cooker, see: Pressure Cooking 101. The grain can also be simmered in a covered pot on the stove for approximately 90 minutes over low heat. Drain the grain well. It should make about 5 cups.

The use of cornstarch and vegetable stock greatly reduces the amount of oil normally used in a vinaigrette, giving my salad dressing the thickness and body that I love. Heat the vegetable stock and cornstarch together on the stove until thick, about 5 minutes in a pot. Whisk well. Whisk all the ingredients together well and drizzle over your grains.

Add the chicken, nuts, cheese and fruit.

**Goat cheese is what I use for the nutritional information I'll give you today. If you use a higher fat cheese, then the calories and fat will go up.

All I know is that this recipe makes 8 cups of hearty, filling, and delicious salad! Each one cup serving will give you: 212 calories, 8 grams of fat, 6 grams of fiber, 29 low impact carbohydrates, and 13 grams of protein! Serve this on a bed of salad greens and you have a hearty, filling and healthy meal!

There you go my darlings! A delicious, filling, and versatile salad for the best summer ever! Stay cool. Don't watch too much TV...and relish every single day you have with those you love! Onward and upward we go!